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Etowah High School News

Congratulations to the Valedictorians and Salutatorians for the Cherokee County School District’s Class of 2019!

These students and their parents will be honored by the School Board and Superintendent of Schools at the 19th Annual Scholar Recognition Banquet on Wednesday. Each student also is invited to select a favorite teacher, and these teachers are honored at the Banquet as well.

Attention all CCSD Class of 2019 graduating seniors (and their parents): ABM Industry Groups has just partnered with CCSD to offer a new $1,000 college scholarship. One grad from each of CCSD's six high schools will win a $1,000 scholarship to be presented next month. The application (which is easy) and reference letters are due by June 3. The application and reference form are online here.

The Cherokee County School Board has recognized the winner of the inaugural LGE Community Credit Union Scholarship! The newly established Partnership Agreement between the School Board and credit union specifies one $5,000 scholarship will be awarded by the Bank to a graduating senior from a CCSD high school each year, with a focus on outstanding community service. The Class of 2019 winner selected by the credit union’s scholarship committee is Chase Thomas of Etowah High School!

Twelve CCSD student athletes have been honored as Regional winners and two as State winners by Positive Athlete Georgia!

More than 3,000 students are nominated annually by coaches, principals, athletic directors, teachers and parents. Awards are presented for specific sports and regions, with a top award presented to one male and one female student for the entire state.

The Cherokee County School District is beginning a new service for families registering students for school.

The Centralized Summer Registration Center will allow parents to complete the process for registering students -- in any grade who will be new to CCSD for the 2019-20 school year -- early in the summer break, rather than waiting for school front offices to reopen.

Today is National Children’s Mental Health Awareness Day, advocated by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. The Cherokee County School District joins in this observance as we care deeply about the health and well-being of all of our students. Our school counselors, nurses, social workers and psychologists are here to help. We have developed a resource page for parents to learn more about mental health resources and suicide awareness and prevention: http://bit.ly/ccsdresources #CCSDfam #NCMHAD

Two Cherokee County School District graduating seniors have earned the prestigious National Merit Scholarship!

Kieran Black of Etowah High School and Jordan Vaughn of Sequoyah High School are two of only 2,500 students in the nation -- of the 1.6 Million students who took the 2017 PSAT exam -- to be awarded the $2,500 scholarship by the National Merit Scholarship Corporation.

Please help us spread the word: online registration for kindergartners and all students who will be new to CCSD for the 2019-20 school year is underway at https://registration.cherokeek12.net/. You can complete the online process in about 15 minutes and set up a time to visit the school and verify your required legal documents. Want to learn more about the learning that happens in our kindergarten classrooms? Check out the report: Ready to Learn: A Parent’s Guide to CCSD Kindergarten at http://bit.ly/CCSDkready #CCSDfam

The May edition of the CCSD Connections parent newsletter now is online here and features info on graduation, summer camp (the deadline to apply for CCSD Summer Discovery is Friday) -- and much more! Thanks to this month's sponsor, Credit Union of Georgia.

Coming to a screen near you... a film festival featuring CCSD student filmmakers! The first-ever Cherokee Student Film Festival is on Sunday in the Cherokee High School auditorium as a result of a collaboration between CCSD and the Cherokee Office of Economic Development. Admission is free! See the flier for more info. #CCSDfam

The Cherokee County School Board on Thursday, April 18, 2019 approved the appointment of a new CCSD School Police Chief and new assistant principals to fill vacancies for next school year.

The School Board unanimously approved naming Major Buster Cushing, who currently serves as commander of field operations for the Cherokee Sheriff’s Office, as the next CCSD School Police Chief effective July 1. Major Cushing will fill the role held by retiring Chief Mark Kissel since the Department’s establishment 20 years ago.

CCSD is partnering for the second year with the Cherokee Office of Economic Development to offer high school students an outstanding career education opportunity: the 2019 Summer Internship Program! Applications due by May 25. Check out the flier (or visit https://www.cherokeega.org/internship/) to learn more about this six-week program to learn & earn this summer. #CherokeeByChoice

The Cherokee County School District’s online system for registering new students for the 2019-20 school year now is open to parents!

Parents can log in from home to the New Student Gateway by clicking here. Parents who missed the window for online kindergarten registration in March also can register their children using the New Student Gateway.

Registration forms now are online for CCSD's summer school learning opportunities from June 5-25 for high school students including rising ninth-graders.

In addition to offering a wide selection of courses for students who need to retake classes not passed during the regular school year, Personal Fitness and Health courses will be offered for initial high school credit.

CCSD’s high school agriculture Career Pathway classes and extra-curricular programs offer students hands-on learning opportunities including cultivating plants. Once those plants are ready to leave the greenhouse, students sell them as a fundraiser… giving the community another way to support career education!

No matter what you call it - vaping, Juul-ing, e-cigarettes – or how harmless the devices may seem, let’s clear the air: these are dangerous devices not permitted in schools.

CCSD takes vaping as seriously as any other tobacco product or marijuana, and the repercussions to a student’s health and school record are not worth risking. A 2018 national study released reported 1 in 5 high school students have tried vaping.

This is National Social Work Month, and CCSD has four full-time social workers who assist the families of our 42,000 students in overcoming challenges that might affect their education. Our social workers strive daily to connect families with community resources and provide interventions to address situations like homelessness, hunger, truancy, drug abuse, neglect and other challenges. Last year, CCSD’s three social workers made 793 home visits; handled more than 800 cases; made 1,500 parent contacts and provided assistance to 146 homeless students. This year, with the addition of a fourth member to the social worker team, they are on a pace to work 1,000 referrals and serve more than 230 homeless students.

Two Cherokee County School District high school students are among this year’s 21st Century Leaders Georgia Youth Leadership Award winners!

The youth leadership and talent development program annually selects 21 top youth leaders from throughout the State for the honor, including Cherokee High School junior Michael Garcia and Etowah High School junior Kailen Kim.

Thank you to these outstanding partners for donating to the CHOICE program that helps students who need extra support in order to graduate on time! Does your company want to donate incentives for this program? Or a financial contribution for a scholarship? Please contact penny.dempsey@cherokeek12.net for more information. #CCSDfam

What is Child Find?
The purpose of Child Find is to identify, locate, and evaluate children and youth, who are suspected of having or have a diagnosed disability or developmental delay, in order to provide free appropriate Special Education services. The Cherokee County School District serves children ages 3 to 21.

A Cherokee County School District culinary team competed at the State level with its Farm-to-School-inspired recipe!

The team of Etowah High School Family and Consumer Sciences students Isabelle Bridges, Milas Alexis Dominguez, Alexander Fiscarelli and Marie-Andree Girard was invited to cook up its Tex-Mex Quinoa Bowl at the Georgia Department of Education’s third annual Shake it Up Farm-to-School Student Chef Competition in Macon. Only nine teams from across the state were invited to compete; Putnam County High School’s team won the cook-off.

The Cherokee County School Board is celebrating the CCSD School Police Department for its 20 years of exemplary service.

Led since its establishment by Chief Mark Kissel, who has announced he will retire at the end of this school year, the Department consists of 20 police officers certified by the Georgia Peace Officers Standards and Training Council, an Emergency Management Facilitator and office staff.

Basketball season officially came to a close for CCSD’s high school seniors last Thursday night, as they played their final high school games together at Etowah High School in the Varsity Brands Senior Classic. CCSD also presented a donation to St. Jude Children's Research Hospital as part of the event.

CCSD's Communications Division today released the District's 2018 Annual Report of District Progress, showcasing CCSD student achievement and School District accountability across multiple metrics. The report can be viewed here.

The Cherokee County School District celebrated its Work-Based Learning program with regional guests and special recognitions of partners that help with this important career education initiative.

The Work-Based Learning program provides CCSD high school students the opportunity to explore possible careers through working in school partners’ places of business. The School District this month for the first time hosted a regional Work Based Learning meeting, with high school career education teachers from across the state in attendance to learn about one of CCSD’s programs: healthcare science.

ET Booth piloted a Technology and Engineering STEM Course in the 2018 fall semester. The class, which extended for two quarters, 18 weeks, was created to offer 8th grade students the opportunity to study a wide range of Pathways offered at Etowah High School. Mrs. Deneka, ET Booth Technology teacher; Mr. Grummer, EHS Architecture teacher; Mike Vacca, EHS Computer Science teacher; Marc Giuliano, EHS Automotive teacher; and Linda Yunker, EHS Audio/Video Technology & Film teacher; collaborated to create the course curriculum and coordinated to arrange cross campus field trips and info sessions. The goal of this vertical planning between the middle and high school is to provide students interested in pursuing one of these CTAE Pathways, with a deeper understanding of the subject matter and the opportunities that exist at Etowah High School for End of Pathway Industry Recognized Certification.

Missed our job fair, but still want to learn more about joining the #CCSDfam for next school year? We're participating in the Cherokee Career Expo from 2 to 6 p.m. Wednesday, March 13, at the Northside Hospital Cherokee Conference Center (1130 Bluffs Parkway, Canton 30114). We're hiring teachers, school nurses, bus drivers, school nutrition cafeteria staff, clerical support and more! #CherokeeByChoice Click here for more: https://www.cherokeega.org/career-expo/

The March edition of the CCSD Connections parent newsletter now is online here and features an important update on the State-mandated school calendar issue and new troubling education legislation. The newsletter also includes two brief surveys on our Strategic Plan and communications… please participate to help CCSD continuously improve!

We have something very exciting happening at Etowah High School! We have partnered with an organization called Dream on 3. Dream on 3 is a nonprofit sports organization that makes dreams come true for children with chronic illnesses, intellectual and developmental disabilities, or life altering conditions by creating experiences of joy and magic through the world of sports. We nominated one of our very own Etowah Eagles, and he was accepted as a dream recipient! Anderson Sisk will be receiving a dream relating to his love for WWE wrestling! The Junior Dream team, a group of students selected to help fundraise, promote, and plan Anderson’s dream, put together a video that will show just what Dream on 3 is made of!

The Cherokee County School District’s award-winning School Nutrition department will celebrate National School Breakfast Week from March 4 to 8 with special items on the menu at all CCSD school cafeterias including a fruit parfait on Tuesday and breakfast for lunch on Wednesday. The week’s theme is “School Breakfast: Start Your Engines.”

The Cherokee County School District is celebrating the importance of literacy with its second annual month-long “Get CCSD Reading” campaign!

In support of the statewide Get Georgia Reading initiative, the program kicks off with Read Across America Day on Friday, a nationwide reading event that coincides with renowned children’s book author and illustrator Dr. Seuss’s March 2 birthday.

The Cherokee County School District has kicked off a significant update to its five-year Strategic Plan and began the process with community engagement.

The School District, with the support of the Georgia School Boards Association (GSBA), is developing a new plan aligned with the community’s vision for the future and designed to be better understood and appreciated by the community and more accurately implemented and measured by CCSD staff.

Five Cherokee County School District high school seniors have been named 2019 National Merit Scholarship Finalists!

Anne Greer of Cherokee High School, Kieran Black of Etowah High School, Mia McMahill of River Ridge High School, and Natasha Ambriz-Villela and Jordan Vaughn of Sequoyah High School now are in the running for possible scholarships.

Nine CCSD basketball teams are in the hunt for a state title after the close of region tournaments last week. Cherokee HS Girls team and the Etowah Eagles Boys team each earned Region Champion titles, while seven additional teams earned playoff berths.

The Cherokee County School District next month will present its first-ever Support Staff Employee of the Year Awards!

The celebration on March 5 will honor one Support Staff Employee of the Year from each of CCSD’s schools, centers and central office divisions. Each honoree will be recognized by the Superintendent of Schools and School Board members, receive a plaque and gifts of appreciation, and enjoy a reception with their family and Principal.

The Student Teacher Achievement Recognition (S.T.A.R.) program honors Georgia’s outstanding high “school seniors and the teachers who have been most instrumental in their academic development. To obtain the S.T.A.R. nomination, high school seniors must have the highest score on the test date on the three-part SAT taken through the November test date of their senior year and be in the top 10 % or top 10 students of their class based on grade point average.

This Years S.T.A.R. Student is Riley McCready and S.T.A.R. Teacher is John Murnan.

More than 650 female athletes from Cherokee County's six high schools participated in the county's annual celebration of National Girls and Women in Sports Day (NGWSD), held Wednesday, February 6, at Woodstock High School. NGWSD recognizes the contributions female athletes have made in their sports, acknowledges the challenges they have overcome, and celebrates the positive influence of sports participation for girls and women everywhere, as well as the impact of Title IX legislation that guarantees equal access to athletics for females.

Cherokee County School District’s high schools all have earned State recognition for outstanding Advanced Placement (AP) programs!

Each of CCSD’s six traditional high schools has earned recognition from the State as a 2019 AP Honor School for commendable student performance and participation on AP exams. CCSD’s high schools all have been named to the State’s AP Honor List each of the last nine years. As a district, CCSD ranks fifth overall in Georgia for AP exam pass rates.

CCSD recognized 58 high school seniors today who have signed scholarship letters of intent to play their sport at the college level. The Signing Day event at the Northside Hospital Cherokee Conference Center in Canton recognized students who will be playing football, baseball, soccer, lacrosse, softball, basketball, swimming, tumbling, volleyball, golf and track.

CCSD high school and middle school basketball teams ended their regular seasons last week and begin tournament play tonight, lasting through the week. All six of CCSD's high schools will have both their boys' and girls' teams involved in regional tournaments to determine seeding/eligibility for the state tournament, which kicks off February 15. CCSD middle schools will begin the county tournament schedule tonight to determine the county champion for boys and girls teams, 7th and 8th grade. Schedules/brackets can be found here.

The Superintendent of Schools has determined the February Break will be a full week-long break for students.

Due to a mild winter so far, resulting in the need to close schools for only one full day, coupled with positive long-range forecasts, all CCSD schools will be closed Monday, Feb. 18, through Friday, Feb. 22, for the student holiday. CCSD central offices will remain open as previously scheduled.

Due to forecasts for possible inclement weather tomorrow, all CCSD schools and offices will be closed Tuesday, Jan. 29, 2019. We will continue to monitor conditions tomorrow to determine if further action is needed. Updates will be posted & emailed to parents. How do we decide? Learn more here (https://www.cherokeek12.net/Content2/school-closure-decision-process). #SafeCherokee

The Superintendent of Schools will make an announcement by Jan. 31 as to whether classes will be held during the last three days of February Break.

As you know, schools are scheduled to be closed on Monday, Feb. 18, and Tuesday, Feb. 19 for student holidays. The CCSD school calendar designates Wednesday, Feb. 20, through Friday, Feb. 22, as possible school holidays or inclement weather make-up days.

The Cherokee County School District will host its annual job fair on March 2 for hiring new teachers, bus drivers and school nutrition workers!

The fair is from 9 a.m. to noon at River Ridge High School in Woodstock, and offers job candidates the opportunity to meet CCSD and school leaders. Candidates not only will have the opportunity to introduce themselves, but also the chance to ask questions.

The Cherokee County School District will offer a variety of summer school learning opportunities from June 5-25 for high school students including rising ninth-graders.

In addition to offering a wide selection of courses for students who need to retake classes not passed during the regular school year, Personal Fitness and Health courses will be offered for initial high school credit.

Congratulations to JROTC Cadet Kyle Raffety who was one of only six Georgia students, and one of 150 students nationwide, selected by the United States Air Force to receive a $23,000 scholarship this Summer to earn his private pilot's license and 12 college credits. We couldn't be happier for you Kyle. Well done!"

The Cherokee County School District presents an annual Agency Information Fair for parents, grandparents, teachers and caregivers to learn more about services in the community for children with special needs. This year's free event is on March 21. Please see the flier posted online here for more info, as well as this list of participating organizations.

Cherokee County School District middle and high schools will have an early release day on Dec. 21, as students begin their winter holiday break.

On Friday, Dec. 21, all CCSD high schools and middle schools will dismiss on a half-day schedule, with buses departing early. Elementary school dismissal is not affected and will remain 2:15 p.m. Preschool program dismissal also is not affected. The After School Program will not be offered at CCSD elementary schools.

Due to forecasted icy road conditions, all CCSD schools and offices will operate on a 2-hour delay Tuesday, Dec. 11, 2018. Buses will pick up 2 hours late; school will end on time. We will closely monitor conditions overnight to determine if further action is needed. Updates will be shared on our website and social media, and by email to parents. How do we decide? Learn more here (https://www.cherokeek12.net/Content2/school-closure-decision-process). #SafeCherokee

Cherokee County School District schools have earned high ratings for cultivating a positive school climate!

The District earned a 4-star average on the 5-star scale in the Georgia Department of Education’s annual ratings, which measure how a community views the quality of its school’s culture and character; the highest possible rating is 5 stars. The rating is based on a survey of students, parents and teachers; student discipline issue rates; and daily attendance.

The Cherokee County School District is celebrating National School Lunch Week next week with special entrees!

The National School Lunch Program serves 30 million children every day, and this year’s celebration theme, “Lots 2 Love,” encourages students and school nutrition professionals to share what they love most about school lunch.

As we all know, this upcoming week is Etowah vs Woodstock week for the annual rivalry game. One of the great experiences in high school is the fun that rivalry games bring to both communities. We want this rivalry to continue to be a fun but healthy event. We wanted to pass on some important information as it relates to the upcoming game.

Applications for free and reduced-price meals must be completed every school year under Federal guidelines. If your student was approved for free of reduced-price meals last school year, the approval has been extended for the first 30 operating days of the school year. Previous year meal benefits will expire on Sept. 12, 2018 unless a new application is received.

Please see the following message to parents from Cherokee County Superintendent of Schools Dr. Brian V. Hightower:

Today, we found silver linings in our rain clouds.

No one wants to hear a forecast for rain on the first day of school. It soaks those new school clothes and backpacks, but, of greater importance, it also makes the morning traffic more challenging and dangerous.

Our teachers and leaders carried on, many getting drenched as they greeted car riders in the process, but remaining enthusiastic and welcoming. And you carried on, too, and we appreciate the patience and kindness you showed, especially as buses were slowed by the rain and car rider lines grew long.

We need your help in spreading an important message as our students head back to school: #SafeCherokee Please check out this brief video - http://bit.ly/CCSDSafeCherokee - featuring Superintendent of Schools Dr. Brian V. Hightower and Cherokee Sheriff Frank Reynolds, and a united force of our community’s law enforcement and public safety officers and first-responders.

For the fourth consecutive year, Cherokee County School District students exceeded State averages on the Georgia Milestones End-of-Grade and End-of-Course tests! CCSD has exceeded State averages every year since the tests that measure mastery of Georgia Performance Standards began.

“We are focused on increasing students’ mastery of the knowledge and skills they will need to succeed in college, career and life,” Superintendent of Schools Dr. Brian V. Hightower said. “These Milestones results show our students and teachers are consistently and successfully getting the job done. I’m so proud of them, their families and our partners and volunteers -- we’re in this together with the same goal: making our community’s future the best it can be.”

The Cherokee County School District today launches its Back-to-School Gateway, an online system designed to reduce paper waste and wasting parents’ valuable time!

The Back-to-School Gateway is a paperless, online registration system for students already enrolled in CCSD schools that replaces the dreaded stack of “first-day forms” with a quick digital check and update of students’ existing contact and emergency notification information in CCSD’s records system.

The Cherokee County School District is expanding to all schools its system that allows parents to track their child’s school bus on a smart phone or computer!

The Transportation Department began testing the Versatrans My Stop system last school year, and after a successful pilot, the system will be available to all CCSD parents beginning July 30 – just in time for the first day of school on Aug. 1.

The Cherokee County School District will begin offering students and parents a closer look at school cafeteria menus this school year with the new MealViewer To Go app and website.

The system, which launches today, not only lists what’s on the breakfast and lunch menu each day, but includes photos and nutritional information. The menu for the first day of school is available now through MealViewer, with more menus, photos and nutritional information being added daily in preparation for the start of school.

The Cherokee County School District is adding an expanded system for reporting safety concerns!

The SafeSchools Alert system will allow students, parents, school staff and everyone in the community to anonymously report safety concerns by text, email, online message or phone call. This system will replace the previous anonymous tip hotline.

Interested in participating in a wonderful organization? It’s time to hold the 2019 Winter Guard auditions. Last year our Winter Guard placed 2nd in their division at the Circuit Championships in Chattanooga, TN. We are looking to have another great season! We will have an informational meeting November 7th in the EHS Band room beginning at 6:30pm. We will go over audition information, paperwork, and cost associated with the activity. Auditions will take place November 12-16th from 4-6pm in the EHS Band room. You do not need prior experience to tryout. You will need paperwork filled out prior to tryouts that will be given out at the informational meeting. Come on out and give it a try! See Mr. Long in 7115 for more details.

Congratulations to several Spanish students from Etowah High School who attained national recognition for excellent performance on the 2018 National Spanish Examinations. Students from Etowah High School earned a total of 4 gold, 13 silver and 19 bronze medals along with 52 honorable mentions.

More than 200 senior football players, cheerleaders, marching band members and JROTC cadets had one last night under the lights as CCSD high schools came together for the 2018 Varsity Brands Senior Bowl. The White team, comprised of players from Cherokee, Creekview and River Ridge HS, claimed the win over the Gray team, formed from Etowah, Sequoyah and Woodstock. All proceeds from the charity game went to St. Jude Children's Research Hospital.

Cherokee County School District middle and high schools will have an early release day on Dec. 21, as students begin their winter holiday break.

On Friday, Dec. 21, all CCSD high schools and middle schools will dismiss on a half-day schedule, with buses departing early. Elementary school dismissal is not affected and will remain 2:15 p.m. Preschool program dismissal also is not affected. The After School Program will not be offered at CCSD elementary schools.

What is Dual Enrollment? Who can participate? What are the benefits? What are the challenges? If you have questions like these, please join us for a free CCSD Dual Enrollment Information Night open to all CCSD high school parents at 7 p.m. Monday, Nov. 12, at Sequoyah HS or Thursday, Nov. 15, at Etowah HS.

The Cherokee County School Board on Thursday, Nov. 15, 2018, approved its annual Legislative Partnership Program outlining requests for the local Legislative Delegation’s consideration during the upcoming session, and local control topped the list.

The Cherokee County School District and Georgia Bureau of Investigation next week will co-host a summit on youth suicide prevention.

The Cherokee County Youth Suicide Prevention Summit, which is open to the public, is from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. on Monday, Nov. 5, at the Cherokee County Conference Center at 1130 Bluffs Parkway, Canton 30114.

A Cherokee County School District senior has achieved a perfect score on the ACT!

Etowah High School senior Victoria “Tori” Ridgeway earned the top composite score of 36 on the college entrance and placement test – a feat accomplished by, on average, less than one-tenth of 1 percent of students who take the ACT!

Hello Eagle Nation! Marching Band season is in full swing and it’s time for your Marching Eagles to take the field in their first competition. Our first competition is at Creekview High School right here in Cherokee County on September 29th. We perform at 5:40pm. Parking is free and admission is $10. We are competing against some tough competition and need to hear your support as we take the field! Your support on Friday Nights has propelled us to a new level of performance! Come out and see why we put in so many hours of practice as we rock Creekview’s stadium!

The Cherokee County School District is focused on further improving suicide prevention training for its staff and offering more support to students in need.

This important issue long has been a part of professional development for staff, but CCSD is increasing its training and programs in response to the national rise in teen suicide rates, as well as the tragic deaths of students, teachers and parents in the community.

Going once, going twice, gone! Your bid can be the winning one at CCSD’s annual surplus equipment auction, which is open to the public, and begins at 9 a.m. on Saturday, Nov. 10, at the CCSD Central Warehouse (201 Mountain Brook Court, Canton, 30115). The sale preview starts at 7:30 a.m. More information is listed on the auctioneer's website: http://jeffdobson.com/

Class of 2019 Etowah High School student, Kaylie Cofield, traveled to Dallas, Texas in June to compete at HOSA’s 41st Annual (Future Health Professionals) International Leadership Conference (ILC). Kaylie had competed with her peers and Healthcare classmates at the State Leadership Conference (SLC) in March in Atlanta, when she held the position of Historian, to win First Place in the Category of Outstanding HOSA Chapter. This First Place win advanced her to Dallas in which she was honored to represent Etowah High School as the first Cherokee County, Georgia school to ever advance to the International level to compete.

Reporting safety concerns to the Cherokee County School District now is easier than ever with the roll-out of a new smartphone app!

The School District in August launched the new SafeSchools Alert system, which allows students, parents, school staff and everyone in the community to report safety concerns to CCSD School Police and administrators by text, email, online message or phone call, with the option to do so anonymously. To further increase accessibility, the system now includes a new smartphone app, which can be downloaded at no cost.

Cherokee County School District’s Class of 2018 outscored the previous class, topped State and National averages and ranked second among metro Atlanta counties on the SAT, according to results released today by the College Board!

The CCSD Class of 2018 earned an average total score of 1122, an increase from last year’s 1121, on the curriculum-based, college entrance and placement exam – the most commonly recognized measure of achievement for high school students. The score exceeds the National public school average by 73 points and the State by 68 points… and ranks CCSD as the ninth highest-performing school district statewide!

Cherokee County School District’s high schools all have earned State recognition for outstanding Advanced Placement (AP) programs!

Each of CCSD’s six traditional high schools has earned recognition from the State as a 2018 AP Honor School for commendable student performance and participation on AP exams. CCSD’s high schools all have been named to the State’s AP Honor List each of the last eight years.

CCSD high school students improved their performance on College Board Advanced Placement (AP) exams in 2018, with 74% of students scoring a 3 or higher, up from 71% in 2017 and again exceeding state and national averages.

The Cherokee County School District began a new tradition today by surprising four teachers with the news they are CCSD Teacher of the Year Finalists!

Superintendent of Schools Dr. Brian V. Hightower visited the four teachers’ classrooms to announce their selection, from the field of all CCSD schools’ and centers’ Teachers of the Year, to vie for the top honor.

“Our School District truly is defined by the quality of our teachers, both their classroom instruction and the culture they create as role models and leaders,” Dr. Hightower said. “With as many schools and teachers as we have, we certainly were ready to create another level of Teacher of the Year recognition. We’re so proud of these finalists; they’re not just great educators -- they’re great people.”

Thanks to the support of partner Northside Hospital Cherokee, the Cherokee County School District received EpiPens at no cost for all of its schools! The cost of the pens – auto-injectors that can be life-saving in cases of serious allergic reaction - was waived by manufacturer, Mylan, as part of its EpiPen4Schools program. CCSD’s participation in the program was made possible by NHC Dr. Matthew Simmons, who wrote prescriptions for each school’s clinic.

Congratulations to Riley McCready, Zachary Meyers, and Jackson Keith, who have been named Commended Students in the 2019 National Merit Scholarship Program. A Letter of Commendation from the school and National Merit Scholarship Corporation (NMSC), which conducts the program, will be presented by Mr. Horn to these scholastically talented seniors.

The Cherokee County School District for the second consecutive year has earned Georgia’s top honor for preparing and serving fresh, healthy meals to students!

CCSD’s School Nutrition program, which serves 5 million meals each year in school cafeterias, earned the Golden Radish Award at the Platinum Level from the Georgia’s Departments of Agriculture, Public Health, Education and Georgia Organics.

More Cherokee County School District Class of 2018 students took the ACT exam than any previous class, while maintaining impressive averages and exceeding National and State averages!

Results released today show the Class of 2018 posted an excellent overall score of 23, while a record number took the challenging college entrance and placement examination: 1,809 students -- an 11-percent increase from the previous year. The score ranks CCSD third among metro Atlanta counties and seventh in Georgia – out of 180 school districts!

CCSD is participating in Georgia’s Farm to School month celebration with special menu items including a Kickin’ it with Kale salad on Wednesday!

The fresh kale, cranberry and apple salad will be available throughout CCSD cafeterias as a side choice at lunch on Wednesday, with students encouraged to try kale, a vegetable that may be new to them.

Junior Savannah Bray, an outside hitter for the Etowah Lady Eagles surpassed two career milestones last week as she broke the 1000 kill mark and the 1000 dig mark as well. Raymone Devezin is a true example of hard work, dedication, and toughness on the football field.

The Etowah Electric Eagles Robotics Competition Team #6341 has received generous donations from community members totaling over $1,900! These donations will help fund technology equipment for compeition events. To donate, please contact...

A Cherokee County School District graduating senior has earned the prestigious National Merit Scholarship!

Etowah High School senior Joseph Young is one of only 2,500 students in the nation — of the 1.6 Million students who took the 2016 PSAT exam — to be awarded the $2,500 scholarship by the National Merit Scholarship Corporation.